Previously, Alison worked at J.P. Morgan Asset Management in Multi- Asset Solutions and led the development of the firms Alternative Beta offering. "It's hard. Dan often goes golfing with Marc where as Sheri stays as home waiting for them ( Source : instagram ). INFORMATION Alison Rapaport Stillman Sadly this is why I wanted to build a track record, because, quite frankly I knew that above other people I needed to have something that could speak for itself, she says. All third party links in this post have not been independently verified by 500 Startups and the inclusion of such links should not be interpreted as an endorsement or confirmation of the content within. Among its portfolio of more than 50 companies, 60% of founders are people of color. It's not the only thing." NFL insider Ian has a brother named Jake Rapaport. Williams launched Serena Ventures in 2014. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Serena Williams' Venture Capital Firm Raises $111 Million Serena Williams raises $111 million for new venture fund. When he posted an Ask Me Anything during Q&A sessions, one user commented whether he is related to Ian or Michael, to which he replied, "Negative." Serena Ventures partner Alison Rapaport Stillman thinks VCs need to get out of their comfort zones. The two cherished couple, beaming happy in the early morning, enjoyed an excellent breakfast as she held a Veuve Clicquot champagne bottle. cnx.cmd.push(function() { ]); Marc inspired him to pursue a career in golf at the age of 4 as Dan grew up with a sister. Alison Stillman Goes By Allison Stillman Nashville, TN Age: 67 Full Name: Allison Stillman Current Home Address: 5329 Old Village Rd Nashville TN 37211 The founding partners of Serena Ventures are Ms. Williams and Alison Rapaport Stillman. The stats about the fund received by black women entrepreneurs in the recent years highlights the problem. tude.refreshAdsViaDivMappings([ { As a Senior Associate, Veronica sources, conducts diligence, and provides portfolio support at Serena Ventures. and this attitude has led to White men receiving an overwhelming majority of venture capital funds. subcat: '', Alison Rapaport is a Partner at Serena Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund founded by tennis superstar Serena Williams in 2014. The scorecard helps the firm remain objective in its evaluation process. She works alongside the tennis superstar Serena Williams in overseeing the business and sourcing new investments. WebAlison Rapaport Stillman is a Founding General Partner at Serena Ventures, overseeing portfolio management and sourcing new investments. The General partner is Alison Rapport Stillman. Ive always been fascinated with technology, and Ive always loved how it really shapes our lives, said Ms. Williams, who has been investing for nine years. The same goes for actor Michael Rapaport. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. In addition to growing the reach and impact of the SV portfolio, Alison is the person founders turn to when they need pointed advice, detailed feedback, and tough love. That was about four years ago, when Williams hired Alison Rapaport Stillman as general partner and they began building a teamwhich just happens to be all women. "We know that what you're selling us at the pre-seed or seed probably isn't going to look like what the Series B investor sees at some level," she said. By highlighting this behaviour and offering support, we are drawing awareness to the systemic issues at hand and showing people in the industry how it can be done. I want to highlight that we do not invest in women and people of color to simply check a box, Rapaport Stillman told the online publication All Raise. So why cant a man learn about tampons? Fund Budgeting & Cash Flow Management What are the financial nuts and bolts of launching and managing a venture fund? There are so many things that keep me in venture. With Sheri and Marc's established careers, the Full Swing star enjoyed a secure upbringing and affluent lifestyle during childhood. Plenty of its portfolio companies come from Silicon Valley, but two of its most recent investments came from North Carolina and Wisconsin. divId: 'div-gpt-ad-rightrail-1', Alison J. Rapaport, CFA, is a Partner at Serena Ventures, overseeing portfolio management and sourcing new investments. Right now, the firm is excited about companies that address aging. WebThe General partner is Alison Rapport Stillman. It can be as simple as making products more affordable or accessible. Onstage at an event, Ms. Seidman-Becker said less than 2 percent of venture money went to women. She can get an amazing read on a person and see the big picture really quickly, whereas it takes me longer. Veronica is a proud Alumna of Howard University and holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management. After graduating from Harvard, Alison joined the Jefferies & Company as an banking analyst in June 2009. She earned Bachelor of Science degree in Finance & Operations from the campus. She is a CFA charterholder and earned her MBA from Harvard Business School. Serena Williams raises $111 million for new venture fund. "It's a helpful tool for us. You just naturally wake up and you say, like, wow, 70% of my founders are women.. I was talking about investments. Ms. Williamss husband is the Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. WebDiscover any aliases as well as possible relatives and associates of Alison Rapaport Stillman. This is something Ive been doing for a really, really, really long time and its something that I absolutely love and Im super passionate about., Despite her busy schedule, Williams spends six or seven hours a day on her investing work: I love looking at new companies, I love talking to founders, I absolutely love passing on the knowledge that Ive been able to get and being able to impact other people.. The founding partners of Serena Ventures are Ms. Williams and Alison Rapaport Stillman. How to Land an Investment From Serena Williams' VC Firm Alison Rapaport is a Partner at Serena Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund founded by tennis superstar Serena Williams in 2014. However, just like in tennis, Serena does not believe in following the herd mentality while taking on investments. Alison Stillman's peers at other companies are Ariane Rocha, Margaret Ursua, Marine Casiez, Joseph Eazyway, Janice Patriarca, David Guthery, Karen Chapman, John Stafford. Alison: Im excited about the refocus on the home. This isnt new for me, she says. Partner @Serenaventures. View select TechCrunch Disrupt content online today And also, its very authentic. The champions for Black female founders are here to stay. Abena: What traits stand out to you in a founding team? The golf guy at Barstool Sports currently lives a serene life with his fiance Emma in the radiant metropolis of Brooklyn, New York. Serena Ventures partner Alison Rapaport Stillman finds that VCs still ignore products and services made for audiences theyre not familiar with, even those representing massive markets. Dan with Alison, Robyn, Marc and Sheri celebrates Marc's birthday in Hawaii, February 2022 ( Source : instagram ). Managing partner Serena Williams and general partner Alison Rapaport Stillman have backed about 20 companies with Serena Ventures' first fund. pos: 'right_rail_3', Allows traders to buy and sell bitcoin in the cryptocurrency and blockchain space. We also think about products that are creative, fun, and make life more enjoyable. However, we need to acknowledge there is a problem and strive to fix it. We dont fit the mold of venture.. Economic Equity & Racial Justice Townhall Series, Elevate Black Podcast sponsored by Fifth Third Bank, 100 Founders of Change by American Express, Chasing Success Podcast by JP Morgan Chase, Black Business Month Sponsored by Nationwide, 2022 Registry Of Corporate Directors Listing, 2021 BE Registry Of Corporate Directors Listing, finding companies that solve bigger consumer problems. Serena Ventures - The Serena Williams-backed VC Fund The former world no one tennis player and winner of 23 grand slam singles titles, Serena Williams, has her name written in golden words in the history of world tennis. WebVisit Alison Rapaport Stillman and Stillman Stillmans Baby Registry on Babylist. While interviewing for jobs, she was the only person who I felt would empower me to succeed. The podcaster at Barstool Sports dedicated a tweet in April 2020 to appreciate Marc for everything he had done for Dan and a special gratification for introducing him to this beautiful game. Weve made some investments in the food and beverage space but are interested in the holistic wellness space as well. Tennis superstar Serena Williams has just announced that her venture capital firm,Serena Ventures, has raised $111 million dollars in an inaugural fund. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/01/business/serena-williams-venture-fund.html. Work | OWG All views and opinions presented herein by such third party participants do not represent those of 500 Startups or any of its affiliates or representatives. I felt that it was an opportunity to combine my skill set with a mission and make a difference. Alison Rapaport Have a great Thursday. WebAlison Rapaport Stillman, Serena Ventures. And the only way to change those numbers was to be the person writing the big checks.. She works alongside the tennis superstar Serena Williams in overseeing the business and sourcing new investments. It is dominated by men who try to solve problems and fund innovation for a nation that is rich in socioeconomic diversity yet neither funders nor founders adequately represent our nation. Ive been watching a lot of reruns of reality shows. Alison married Alec Stillman in October 2020, and they welcomed a daughter named Lucy in February 2023. Alison Rapaport Stillman William states, Its fun to get in there. Venture is one of the most inequitable places to work. Masthead. One meeting led to another and the next thing you know, Im working at Serena Ventures. That fact naturally attracts diverse deal flow, because founders identify with the investment team and see Serena Ventures as a safe place to share their vision. Zola founder Shan-Lyn Ma adds co-CEO Rachel Jarrett | Fortune Venture Capital Investing: What It Is and Where Its Headed Try not to control everything. Privacy Policy Alison Stillman aid: '782078', I knew that I wanted to do a fund, but I worked backward, by using my own capital and then creating a track record and getting to know everyone.. Nacho lover Dana Iverson: What got you into venture, and what is keeping you here? Abena Anim-Somuah: Tell us how you met Serena and what drew you to work with her? Upon learning that just two percent of funding goes to female founders, Williams made a strategic commitment to diversity and inclusion; today, 78 percent of founders backed by Serena Ventures are women or people of color. } Prior to joining Serena Ventures, Ashel spent time on the programming team at Kauffman Fellows and was a startup founder. Previously, Alison was a Vice President at JPMorgan Chase and Read More Contact Alison Stillman's Phone Number and Email Last Update 11/24/2022 9:52 AM Email a***@serenaventures.com Engage via Email Contact Number (***) ***-**** Engage via I hurriedly picked a dress, which luckily fit, and jumped on the call. One recent investment they made is Fiveable, a woman-led Milwaukie ed-tech startup helping students prepare for AP exams by offering free online resources. div_id: 'div-gpt-ad-rightrail-2', Moreover, Rapaport is also a former golf writer at Sports Illustrated and a staff writer for Golf Digest. Marc co-founded Jefferies and Co., where he toiled as director and executive vice chairperson from 1990 to 1995. Serena Ventures Serena Williams launched Serena Ventures in 2014 and has invested in over 60 companies. Williams first started investing a little over nine years ago because of what she calls a natural draw to technology and a desire to be involved with all of the startups she was seeing pop up in the space. And she says, No, its true. And I literally couldnt wrap my mind around the fact that 98 percent of all of this money were talking about billions of dollars goes to one type of individual.. Stillman }); window.tude = window.tude || { cmd: [] }; About As a world-class athlete, businesswoman, philanthropist and mother, Serena Williams knows what it takes to win. Dana Iverson is a contributing writer at All Raise. Thanks for being part of ours! When Serena Williams announced her retirement earlier this month, there was plenty of talk of the tennis superstars 23 Grand Slam titles. The views expressed herein are as at the date of this summary and are subject to change without notice. Stillman told Insider a core part of the mission of Serena Ventures was to back founders with "incredible potential" who might have been overlooked by other investors. Dan Rapaport dad Marc works in real estate and serves as the head of Thorofare Capital, a mercantile real estate pawnbroker entity. That is exactly what we are going to talk about in this article. As she learned more about the world of funding, Williams was shocked by the inequities. The pair hiked along rugged coastlines, through thick forests admiring all the beauty they witnessed. Serena Ventures is led by world-class athlete, businesswoman, and philanthropist Serena Williams, and Alison Rapaport Stillman, who has previously worked at J.P. Morgan, Wasserman, and Melo7Tech Partners. Dan Rapaport sister is named Alison Rapaport Stillman. She is so much more than just the worlds best tennis player. "A Serena Ventures company is gritty, mission-oriented, and pushing boundaries," she said. The General partner is Alison Rapport Stillman. In addition to growing the reach and impact of the SV portfolio, Alison is the person founders turn to when they need pointed advice, detailed feedback, and tough love. Marc started his job in 1983 as a banker at Drexel Burnham Lambert. Partner @Serenaventures. According to her Linkedin profile, Alison is a financial expert and analyst whose job is to provide vast arrays of specualtions and predictions of the money market and help the company accordingly. }); EVENTS Founded in 2014 by tennis legend Serena Williams, Serena Ventures is an early-stage fund that embraces diverse founders and the ideas theyre serving up. tag: 'mandc,black-venture-capitalists,newsletter-lead,serena-ventures,serena-williams,vc', But it is important to have a founder who can be self-aware, handle feedback, and build a team to help them be successful. Business partners. Dan Rapaport is not related to Ian Rapaport. Rapaport Stillman The same was kept secret until April 17, 2019, when the tennis star took to Instagram to post about it. Goodwin Women Guide Serena Williams Venture Fund in $111 Previously, Alison worked at J.P. Morgan Asset Management in Multi- Asset Solutions and led the development of the firms Alternative Beta offering. tude.refreshAdsViaDivMappings([ { For fans of Williams, this year's US Open was likely a bittersweet moment. Serena Ventures Built a Portfolio With WebThe General partner is Alison Rapport Stillman. I feel like I go to sleep getting messages from her and wake up getting messages from her, Rapaport told Fortune. cat: 'entrepreneurship', On our Rise of the Next podcast, Honghao Deng and Jiani Zeng tell us how Butlr, which provides insights into commercial space usage, pivoted during the pandemic. Dan Rapaport father Marc Rapaport is a real estate agent from Los Angeles. Most notably, she helped launch the African Leadership University, named one of Africas most innovative companies in 2016 by Fast Company, and founded Black Women in Venture Capital, a community of over 200 Black women in venture capital who envision an equitable VC system. In early August, the 23-time Grand Slam champion wrote in an essay for Vogue that she would be retiring from tennis. Managing partner Serena Williams and general partner Alison Rapaport Stillman have backed about 20 companies with Serena Ventures' first fund. Venture capitalists tend to believe in founders who feel familiar and thereby move forward to fund them. The tennis stars firm, Serena Ventures, will invest in founders with diverse points of view. "Maybe we're so enamored by the founder, but when we actually take the time to dig down into the economics, it might not be the right thing," Stillman said. My path to Serena Ventures started with another sports superstar, ten-time NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony. As the famous story goes, I came over with tacos and a binder of pitches. Serena Ventures - The Financial Pandora Quoting its founder, Serena, I am by no means alone in my mission to build an inclusive venture capital landscape. kw: 'mandc,black-venture-capitalists,newsletter-lead,serena-ventures,serena-williams,vc', We made our founders feel like we are partners who can help them grow, she said. I dont jump off buildings. divId: 'div-gpt-ad-rightrail-2', Alison Stillman is a Managing Partner at Serena Ventures based in Sugar Land, Texas. Alison Stillman More than half of the firm's portfolio companies were founded by women, and more than three-fourths were founded by people from historically underrepresented backgrounds, according to the firm's website. Alison Stillman is a Managing Partner at Serena Ventures based in Sugar Land, Texas. They want to work with us because they know that we will come to them from a place of empathy, said Alison. Algorithmic rank assigned to the top 100,000 most active Investors, The organization associated to the person's primary job, Where the person is located (e.g. Doubles Partner - Alumni - Harvard Business School As Analyst, Ashel assists with sourcing, diligence, and portfolio support initiatives at Serena Ventures. WebAllison Stillman is the director of Aroma Blue, bringing aromatherapy to people in recovery. Thats a great way to get people to pitch to you who otherwise might not try, said Alison.